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After the pandemic and constant lockdowns, I was forced to break up with acrylics for a while, and I decided that I wanted to learn how to do my own gel nails.
But it was one product in particular that really changed the game for my manis.
Learning to do your own gel nails takes a lot of patience and practice, but if you’ve got the time and love treating yourself to a nice set of nails, I highly recommend it.
Since I got my gels and lamp, never again were my manis and pedis done at the whims of the government health policy. No longer did contact tracing and self-isolation (remember that?) keep my nails from looking their very best.
Now that the worst of the pandemic is over, my trusty gel lamp and growing collection of polishes have helped me save heaps of money by swerving the salon and DIYing it.
And my favourite of all those bottles? Mylee’s 5 in 1 Builder Gel. It’s utterly transformed my manis and I never, ever do my nails without it.
Mylee 5 in 1 Builder Base Strengthening Gel (15ml)
Achieve longer, stronger nails with the Mylee 5-in-1 Builder Gel, designed for salon-quality results. This versatile gel allows you to shape, attach decals or jewels, extend your nails up to 1cm, and provides a protective base or top coat. Apply it like regular polish to enhance natural nail growth, or use with Mylee Paper Forms for instant length. The hard-wearing formula fortifies weak nails, promotes healthy growth, and delivers a high-gloss finish perfect for nail art. Easy to apply and remove, simply file and soak off when it's time for a change.
shop £13 at amazonTo the uninitiated, builder gel is essentially a tougher, thicker gel that adds a protective layer to your nails, thus allowing them to grow longer.
You can use Mylee’s version, which Amazon has in a range of seven colours, in five ways: add shape, attach decals or jewels, lengthen by up to 1cm, and as a base coat and/or top coat.
This brand is my absolute favourite because it’s budget-friendly, long-lasting, versatile and it cures in just 60 seconds under my LED lamp.
Before I got acquainted with this builder gel – which you can get for £13 on Amazon – nothing, and I mean nothing I did made a difference to my nail strength or length. Polish, no polish, supplements, oils, lotions… none of it made any difference. It’s why I, a big fan of having longer nails, went for acrylics in the first place.
Now I’ve had some practice and my nails have had plenty of time to grow with the help of the gel, I get heaps of compliments on my manicures, and people are shocked to learn that I’m not rocking professional extensions.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still pop to the salon on occasion as a little treat to have a true professional do the job. But learning to do my own gels was a game-changer and I’ll never give it up.
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